Lockdown animal selloff?

[ycbm]

In response to an advert I have out for a ginger kitten, today I got a text offering me an 11 month old female, "not microchipped because we can't get a PDSA appointment" . Also saying "we want what we paid for her, £300".

Were people really paying £300 for moggie kittens last year? I think they may be in for a shock that a year old cat of no recorded breeding isn't worth what a cute kitten earlier in lockdown was.

I'm expecting there to be a flood of kittens this spring from all the lockdown purchases that didn't get neutered, as well.

 

[poiuytrewq]

In response to an advert I have out for a ginger kitten, today I got a text offering me an 11 month old female, "not microchipped because we can't get a PDSA appointment" . Also saying "we want what we paid for her, £300".

Were people really paying £300 for moggie kittens last year? I think they may be in for a shock that a year old cat of no recorded breeding isn't worth what a cute kitten in early lockdown was.

I'm expecting there to be a flood of kittens this spring from all the lockdown purchases that didn't get neutered, as well.

Sad isn’t it.

 

[Lipglosspukka]

Insane. I remember years ago paying £50 for a kitten because he was particularly pretty with long hair. I felt like I was a right mug!

£300 for a moggy kitten. Madness.

 

[cauda equina]

Before shelling out £300 for a kitten you'd hope people would think about vet bills, and not expect to rely on a charity

 

[poiuytrewq]

Before shelling out £300 for a kitten you'd hope people would think about vet bills, and not expect to rely on a charity

I hadn’t even thought of that! So true. It’s not even like it’s a big vet Bill, it’s a microchip!
I think pets at home do a vaccinations and chip deal for next to nothing

 

[smolmaus]

People were paying £300 for kittens and we also (at a horse sanctuary remember) had nearly 200 cats and kittens through the door because spay/neuters weren't happening. At one point 60 kittens at once. If the same thing happens this spring I honestly don't know what's going to happen to them all.

 

[Polos Mum]

Need an unlike button for the OP's post - so sad.

£300 to buy her but not the £150 to have her neutered

 

[cobgoblin]

Need an unlike button for the OP's post - so sad.

£300 to buy her but not the £150 to have her neutered

Has neutering gone up to £150?

 

[ycbm]

Need an unlike button for the OP's post - so sad.

£300 to buy her but not the £150 to have her neutered

I don't know if this one was neutered, but since they expected the PDSA to chip her, it's doubtful.

I had to resist what I wanted to text back and settled for "sorry I want a kitten".

 

[MissTyc]

It's so sad, cats and dogs in particular but also some of the small furries.

10 months old hooligan dogs advertised for £3500 ("just what we paid for him/her. Have spent loads more on vaccinations, foods, beds" .... Do people really not understand how animal ownership/responsibility works?)

Always a steady stream of young farm cats, usually £50 and then only so they're not free.

 

[Leandy]

Sounds like blackmail to me. Give me £300 or the kitty gets it....... They are preying on soft hearted people. I note they didn't have the face to actually call and discuss their terrible predicament.

 

[muddybay]

I feel like we're going to see this with horses for sale soon! Too many novice owners were buying 3/4 year olds for some not to end up back on the market this year

 

[Caol Ila]

For about five minutes, OH and I considered kittens or puppies (and then I ended up deciding what I really needed was another horse, so that idea was binned). We scanned the web and were shocked. Moggie kittens going for £300! Purebred puppies going for not far off what a horse costs! Crazy!

We scanned the shelters as well. A lot of dogs with behavioural problems. I also know that getting a dog from a UK shelter is difficult. When my friend's 16-year old dog died a couple years ago, she could not get a new dog from the UK. She is a single woman who works full time as an anesthetist, and they wouldn't rehome to her. Then another friend of mine, a vet student, set out to get a dog. Shelters would not rehome to her because she was a student. And then an ex-livery from my old yard tried to get a dog as hers was getting on, but they would not rehome to her because she was over 65. The anesthetist and the vet student got ex-street dogs from Romania, while the older lady found one privately on Gumtree.

Shelters may be overrun on one hand, but it seems like thet rehome animals to virtually nobody.

 

[smolmaus]

For about five minutes, OH and I considered kittens or puppies (and then I ended up deciding what I really needed was another horse, so that idea was binned). We scanned the web and were shocked. Moggie kittens going for £300! Purebred puppies going for not far off what a horse costs! Crazy!

We scanned the shelters as well. A lot of dogs with behavioural problems. I also know that getting a dog from a UK shelter is difficult. When my friend's 16-year old dog died a couple years ago, she could not get a new dog from the UK. She is a single woman who works full time as an anesthetist, and they wouldn't rehome to her. Then another friend of mine, a vet student, set out to get a dog. Shelters would not rehome to her because she was a student. And then an ex-livery from my old yard tried to get a dog as hers was getting on, but they would not rehome to her because she was over 65. The anesthetist and the vet student got ex-street dogs from Romania, while the older lady found one privately on Gumtree.

Shelters may be overrun on one hand, but it seems like thet rehome animals to virtually nobody.

I see this kind of comment a lot but you have to consider that the dogs who end up in a rescue are usually the ones who have already been unable to cope with being alone for most of the day and develop separation anxiety and become destructive or otherwise neurotic. Or they can't be trusted with children or have other behavioural problems so they are already special needs dogs. If they weren't they would probably still be in their homes. A lot also end up in shelters because of people renting, having to move and not finding a pet friendly landlord and being a student is a big red flag for that. Shelters have to do a risk assessment so the dog doesn't just end up back where it started.

Not many dogs come through where I volunteer but the amount of work it takes to filter blatantly unsuitable applications, arrange meetings, second meetings, hope they don't just get a dog on gumtree, send them home and they come back again because they didn't settle immediately. It's heartbreaking. I can't find it in me to blame shelters that just place certain types of homes on the NO list anymore. It's unfortunate but it is what is it.

 

[Polos Mum]

Has neutering gone up to £150?

You're probably right I haven't cats for years and years, if it's less then that's even worse.

 

[Equi]

Kittens were selling for £120 a kitten (8wk old no vet seen) when i was looking (and got my 3 for free from farm)

 

[ycbm]

I've just looked on Preloved and £300 is still the going rate for a moggie kitten ?

 

[laura_nash]

Has neutering gone up to £150?

I know vets fees are lower here, but we were adopted by two feral kittens last year, a brother and sister. Once we'd decided they were staying I took them off to the vets and he chipped, spayed / neutered, and did a general health check (including treating ear mites) for them both for €150.

 

[ownedbyaconnie]

In response to an advert I have out for a ginger kitten, today I got a text offering me an 11 month old female, "not microchipped because we can't get a PDSA appointment" . Also saying "we want what we paid for her, £300".

Were people really paying £300 for moggie kittens last year? I think they may be in for a shock that a year old cat of no recorded breeding isn't worth what a cute kitten earlier in lockdown was.

I'm expecting there to be a flood of kittens this spring from all the lockdown purchases that didn't get neutered, as well.

Errrr still going for silly money! Was looking for a cat/kitten for my parents. Not bothered about breed but we all love a tabby. £350 for undisclosed breed! I paid £100 for teddy who has bengal and Maine coon in him.

I don’t like ads that say they want what they paid back for them. So heartless. Home is surely the most important thing, not money.

 

[ownedbyaconnie]

I know vets fees are lower here, but we were adopted by two feral kittens last year, a brother and sister. Once we'd decided they were staying I took them off to the vets and he chipped, spayed / neutered, and did a general health check (including treating ear mites) for them both for €150.

Ted got neutered in 2019 and think we paid £100

 

[HufflyPuffly]

Huffle was £60 for spaying and Squirrel was £120 but that included fixing a hernia.

 

[IrishMilo]

The price of everything has gone up. Unregistered dogs are going for £3500 upwards. There are virtually no dogs in any of the mainstream rescues either. It’s absolutely bonkers.

 

[SussexbytheXmasTree]

In response to an advert I have out for a ginger kitten, today I got a text offering me an 11 month old female, "not microchipped because we can't get a PDSA appointment" . Also saying "we want what we paid for her, £300".

Were people really paying £300 for moggie kittens last year? I think they may be in for a shock that a year old cat of no recorded breeding isn't worth what a cute kitten earlier in lockdown was.

I'm expecting there to be a flood of kittens this spring from all the lockdown purchases that didn't get neutered, as well.

I looked around last year and locally here ginger kittens were going for more than other colours and some were in the £400-500 mark! I decided not to bother. I paid £100 for a black and £150 for a ginger part Maine Coon 5 years ago. Some would say that’s too much but I couldn’t find anything else locally at the time.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

Dogs Trust recently had a 10 week old pup that had already had 5 homes! I really couldn't work out how, as they are not meant to leave mum until 8 weeks.

 

[ycbm]

Dogs Trust recently had a 10 week old pup that had already had 5 homes! I really couldn't work out how, as the are not meant to leave mum until 8 weeks.

?

 

[Kizzy2004]

My manager has just put a deposit down on a kitten which is going to cost £1,500, absolutely bonkers

 

[SOS]

Before shelling out £300 for a kitten you'd hope people would think about vet bills, and not expect to rely on a charity

I laughed at this because if not I’d cry. No one currently seems to think about vets bills or bothers to insure their new ££££ purchase. I have worked within practices that work with the PDSA. It’s an amazing charity but unfortunately some members think it’s okay to go out and buy kittens for hundreds and puppies (often breeds with health issues like bulldogs) for thousands then expect the PDSA to cover anything. It’s completely wrong and I would love the charity to shift to helping owners who fall into financial difficulty AFTER making the decision to take on a pet rather than anyone on benefits who gets an animal. It may discourage some people from getting animals On a whim/they can’t afford.

I had an owner recently tell me they can’t afford cats protections £5 chip and £10 neuter scheme for the 3 kittens they bought over lockdown.

 

[SOS]

In response to OP, and I’ve said this elsewhere on the forum recently. There is no respect for Lucy’s Law anywhere at the moment, it’s awful!!

 

[iknowmyvalue]

Prices are still crazy! My best friend is desperate to find a kitten/cat, but can’t find one at a sensible price for any amount of searching. On the plus side, it seems a lot of the rescues round them are fairly empty, because they can’t find one there either!

it’s exactly the same with dogs and horses as far as I can see, but hate to think what it will be like when things get back to “normal” and everyone is working all day again...

 

[honetpot]

I had two male farm kittens neutered, chipped, wormed, vaccinated and flea treatments for £340, last November.